Indicia reading terminals are available in multiple varieties. Well-known among the varieties is the gun style terminal as commonly seen at retail store checkout counters. Other terminals are also available that provide enhanced functions, have keyboards, and displays, and include advanced networking communication capabilities. All of these terminals can be used in myriad of applications, including warehouses where the decodable indicia (e.g., the bar codes) may be located at great distances away from the operator of the indicia reading terminal.
A problem with such applications, however, is that the distance between the indicia reading terminal and the decodable indicia can often render the terminal ineffective at decoding the decodable indicia. Although terminals can be constructed for such specific “long distance” applications, this can generally reduce the effectiveness of the terminal for normal applications, and more particularly, for “close distance” applications where the decodable indicia is within millimeters (and/or centimeters) of the operator. That is, the focus distance required in order for the terminal to decode the decodable indicia at “long distances” and at “close distances” is simply outside the range of most commercially available indicia reading terminals.
Therefore, there is a recognized need for an indicia reading terminal that is effective to read decodable indicia at both long distances and close distances. This is optimally provided on a single platform, and thus it is desirable to construct the indicia reading terminal in a manner that provides such extend range of focus distances. It is further desirable that the optics, and other focus elements that are employed by such indicia reading terminals are configured so as to fit within indicia reading terminals with form factors consistent with the form factors of hand held devices of similar functionality that are recognized in the industry.